Multi-ring bubble-producing toy



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 17; 1955 INVENTOR. Hung tu Tye/2y.

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MULTI-RING BUBBLE-PRODUCING TOY Filed Nov. 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2uvmvrox United States Patent Qfifice MULTI-RING BUBBLE-PRODUCING TOYHung-tn Tseng, New York, N. Y. Application November 17,1955, SerialN0.'547,473

' 9 Claims. (Cl. 46-6) This invention relates to toys and, moreparticularly, has reference to a toy adapted to produce a multiplicityof bubbles, through the provision of a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each provided with a ring at one end thereof, with said ringsbeing spread apart in one position of the members, so that, on waving ofthe toy in the air, bubbles are produced by the several ringssimultaneously.'

It has heretofore been proposed to provide means for producing bubbles,generally in the form of a single wandlike member, having one or morerings rigidly connected thereto,and thepresent invention aims to providea novel improvement in devices of this type, through the provision of ascissors-like article having a plurality of pivotally connected arms,with said arms being shiftable into longitudinal alignment to registerthe rings thereof with one another, when the device is inserted into aquantity of a soapy liquid or other liquid that will produce bubbles,opening of the scissors-like article being adapted to laterally spacethe several rings so that they define an arcuate series of rings, thusto produce a substantial number of bubbles when the device is waved inthe air.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device as statedwhich can be manufactured at relatively low cost, considering theadvantageous features thereof,

and which Will be so designed as to reduce to a minimum the complexityof structure and of function, thereby to permit the device to be used bysmall children without difficulty.

Yet another object is to provide a device of the nature referred towhich will 'be rugged, so as to be capable of use over a long period oftime, and will be so designed as to permit manufacture thereof with anynumber of ringequipped components.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:V

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a bubble producing device formedaccording to the present invention, in open position. i

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view of said device as seen from the rightof Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device as it appears when in use, the devicebeing closed to permit insertion of the several rings in a vesselholding a quantity of a bubble forming liquid.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1. showing a modified form.

Considering first the device illustrated in Figs. 1-5, this includesfive pivotally connected members 10, 12, 14, 16,

18, respectively. The members are formed from fiat metal 'stampings, andare disposed in face-to-face contact as shown in Fig. 2. Member 10includes an approximately elliptically-shaped, apertured handle 20integral at its inner end with a flat body 22, which in turn is integralat its end remote from handle 20, with a straight stem 24- merging intoa ring 26. All parts of the member 16, and for that matter all parts ofthe remaining members, are disposed in a common plane.

As'will be noted, the handle 2% extends at an obtuse angle to the lengthof the stem 24, and body 22 is asymmetrically formed, with the greatestpart of the area of the body 22 being projected laterally of the stem24, in a direction opposite that in which the handle 2% extends inrespect to said stem 24. Formed in the laterally projected, roundedportion of the body 22, is an arcuate 'slot 28, and adjacent thejuncture of body 22 to the handle 2%) there is formed a circular opening30 (Fig. 5).

Member 12 includes a body 32. shaped substantially similarly to the body22, and formed integrally at one end with a stem 34 merging into a ring36. An arcuate slot 38 is formed in the body 32, and is.eccentric to anopening 40 registering with the opening 30. Slot 28 is also eccentric tothe opening 30, but the eccentricity of slot 38 is slightly greater thanthat of the slot 28, fora purpose to be made presently apparent.

Member 14 may be appropriately termed a middle or body 42 symmetricallydisposed in respect to a stem 44' having at its outer end a ring 46. Aslot 48 of member 42 is disposed in longitudinal alignment with thelongitudinal center line of stem 44, and is also aligned with an opgning50, which is adapted to register with apertures 30, 4

Member 16 is formed identically to the 'member 12, except for beingoppositely disposed in respect to the length of its stem 54. Inmanufacture of the device, the members 12, 16 can be formed identically,with member 16 then being reversed in joining the assembly, in theposition shown in Fig. 5. Member 16 includes a body 52 asymmetricallyformed, and integral with a stem 54 carrying at its outer end a ring 56.Body 52 has a slot 58 extending in a direction opposite to the directionof the slot 38, and there is an opening 60 formed in the body 52registering with openings 30, 40, 5t

Member 18 is adapted to be formed indentically to the member 10, exceptfor being oppositely disposed in the assembly of the device, andincludes a body 62 integral with a stem 64 merging into a ring 66. Anarcuate slot es formed in the body 62 is disposed above an opening 70,and integrally formed on and projecting laterally from the body 62, is ahandle 72. In the assembly of the device, the several component partsare positioned as shown in Fig. 5, with slots 28, 38 extending to oneside of the registered openings 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, the slot 48 being inalignment with said openings, and the slots 58, 68 being extended in anopposite direction, laterally of the row of openings. Then, washers 74are positioned against the outer faces of bodies 22, 62, and a rivet 76is extended through the washers and through the several registering,circular openings and its end upset. A rivet 78 is extended through theseveral slots and upset, and this com- 7 pletes assembly of the device.

In use of the device, it is grasped in the manner shown in Fig. 3, andthe handles20, 72 are spread. The device may now be inserted in a vesselsuch as a jar 80 containing a soapy solution or one of the commercialbubble forming liquids 82, and as will be noted, when the handles 29, 72are spread apart, the several stems moveinto longitudinal alignment,thus causing the rings thereof 'to be perfectly registered. The pin 78at this location of the Patented June 3, 1958 3 parts is disposed at theends of the slots remote from the pivot pin 76.

When the device is removed from the vessel 80, the handles 20, 72 areshifted toward one another, to their Fig. 1 position, disposing pin 78at the inner ends of the several slots. This spreads the stems andrings, the rings now extending in an arcuate series as shown in Fig. 1.As will be noted, when the members 10, 18 are spread apart to theposition shown in Fig. 1, the members 12, 16 will be spread apart to alesser extent, due to the more pronounced eccentricity of their slotsrelative to the pivot axis.

The movement of the pin 78 to the inner ends of the slots is caused, ofcourse, by the eccentric disposition of the slots of the outer members10, 18, and when the pin moves in the direction of the pivot pin 76 dueto the mentioned eccentricity of cam slots 28, 68 of the outer members,it exerts a cam action against the walls of the slots of members 12, 16,spreading said members apart to positions in which the stems thereofwill be disposed midway between the center stem and stems of the outermembers.

With the soapy solution extending as a thin web across the openingsdefined by the several rings, the device, held in the Fig. 1 position,is gently waved in the air, and this causes bubbles to be thrown offfrom the several rings, with all the rings simultaneously producingbubbles. A highly enjoyable effect is thus achieved, promoting a highdegree of interest in the toy.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modified construction which is substantiallysimilar to that of the first form, with the exception that only threemembers are used instead of five. In this form, the outer members havebeen designated at 10 18 and include handles 20*, 72 integrally formedon the bodies 22 62 Stems 24 64, extend from said bodies, and merge intorings 26 66 The center member is identical to that used in the firstform in every respect, and further, the pivot pin 76 and cam pin 78 arealso as in the first form of the invention.

The outer members 10*, 3 differ from those of the first form only to theextent that the handles 20*, 72 are disposed at a more pronounced obtuseangle relative to their associated stems, and further, the slots 28*, 68are disposed at a greater eccentricity to the pivot axis 76, than istrue of the slots 28, 68. As a result, when the handles are broughttogether, the rings 26*, 66 are spaced closely from the ring 46atopposite sides thereof.

In all forms of the invention, the device can be stamped from sheetmetal material or the like, with the several component parts beingreadily assembled for use, and it will be seen that although the deviceopens to provide a multiplicity of rings, said rings are swiftly broughtinto registering relationship so as to permit immersion of the same in asolution contained in a. relatively small diameter vessel, such as aconventional water glass or small jar containing a bubble-formingliquid.

Further, the construction has the desirable attribute that it is simplyconstituted, facilitating use by small children, it being necessary onlythat the handles be spread and brought together during the use of thedevice, thus eliminating complex constructions that are subject tobreakage by small children, or alternatively, are usable by smallchildren only with considerable difiiculty.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A bubble producing toycomprising a plurality of pivotally connected members each including astem and a ring at one end of the stem, said members being swingablebetween a first position in which said rings are registered forimmersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a second position in which therings are spaced laterally of one another, said members including atleast one intermediate member and two outer members disposed at oppositesides of the intermediate member, the several members being formed withslots, the slots of the outer members being eccentric to the axis of thepivotal connection between the members and being extended in oppositedirections, the slot of the intermediate member extending radially ofsaid axis, said toy further including a cam pin extending through theseveral slots for biasing the stems toward and away from one anotherresponsive to pivotal movement of the outer members in oppositedirections.

2. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stem and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregistered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a secondposition in which the rings are spaced laterally of one another, saidmembers including at least one intermediate member and two outer membersdisposed at opposite sides of the intermediate member, the severalmembers being formed with slots, the slots of the outer members beingeccentric to the axis of the pivotal connection between the members andbeing extended in opposite directions, the slot of the intermediatemember extending radially of said axis, said toy further including a campin extending through the several slots for biasing the stems toward andaway from one another responsive to pivotal movement of the outermembers in opposite directions, said outer members including oppositelyextending handles for effecting pivotal movement of the same in oppositedirections.

3. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stem and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregistered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a secondposition in which the rings are spaced laterally of one another, saidmembers including at least one intermediate member and two outer membersdisposed at opposite sides of the intermediate member, the severalmembers being formed with slots, the slots of the outer members beingeccentric to the axis of the pivotal connection between the members andbeing extended in opposite directions, the slot of the intermediatemember extending radially of said axis, said toy further including a campin extending through the several slots for biasing the stems toward andaway from one another responsive to pivotal movement of the outermembers in opposite directions, said outer members including oppositelyextending handles for effecting pivotal movement of the same in oppositedirections, said handles being extended at obtuse angles to a line drawnbetween the pivot axis of the members and the rings of the respectiveouter members.

4. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stem and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregistered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a secondposition in which the rings are spaced laterally of one another, saidmembers including at least one intermediate member and two outer membersdisposed at opposite sides of the intermediate member, the severalmembers being formed with slots, the slots of the outer members beingeccentric to the axis or" the pivotal connection between the members andbeing extended in opposite directions, the slot of the intermediatemember extending radially of said axis, said toy further including a campin extending through the several slots for biasing the stems toward andaway from one another responsive to pivotal movement of the outermembers in opposite directions, said outer members including oppositelyextending handles for effecting pivotal movement of the same in oppositedirections, said handles being extended at obtuse angles to a line drawnbetween the pivot axis of the members and the rings of the respectiveouter members, each of said members including a relatively wide body anda stem extending between and integrally connected to the body and ringof the member, said cam slots being formed in the bodies of therespective members.

5. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stem and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregis-.

tered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a second position inwhich the rings are spaced laterally of one another, said membersincluding at least one intermediate member and two outer membersdisposed at opposite sides of the intermediate member, the severalmembers being formed with slots, the slots of the outer members beingeccentric to the axis of the pivotal connection between the members andbeing extended in opposite directions, the slot of the intermediatemember extending radially of said axis, said toy further including a campin extending through the several slots for biasing the stems toward andaway from one another responsive to pivotal movement of the outermembers in opposite directions, said outer members including oppositelyextending handles for effecting pivotal movement of the same in oppositedirections, said handles being extended at obtuse angles to a line drawnbetween the pivot axis of the members and the rings of the respectiveouter members, each of said members including a relatively wide body anda stem extending between and integrally connected to the body and ringof the member, said cam slots being formed in the bodies of therespective members, the bodies of the outer members being asymmetricallyformed in relation to the lengths of said stems, and projectinglaterally of their associated stems in one direction, the slots of theouter members being formed in the laterally projecting portions of saidbodies.

6. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stern and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregistered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a secondposition in which the rings are spaced laterally of one another, saidmembers including at least one intermediate member and two outer membersdisposed at opposite sides of the intermediate member, the severalmembers being formed with slots, the slots of the outer members beingeccentric to the axis of the pivotal connection between the members andbeing extended in opposite directions, the slot of the intermediatemember extending radially of said axis, said toy further including a campin extending through the several slots for biasing the stems toward andaway from one another responsive to pivotal movement of the outermembers in opposite directions, said outer members including oppositelyextending handles for efiecting pivotal movement of the same in oppositedirections, said handles being extended at obtuse angles to a line drawnbetween the pivot axis of the members and the rings of the respectiveouter members, each of said members including a relatively wide body anda stem extending between and integrally connected to the body and ringof the member, said cam slots being formed in the bodies of therespective members, the bodies of the outer members being asymmetricallyformed in relation to the lengths of said stems, and projectinglaterally of their associated stems in one direction, the slots of theouter members being formed in the laterally projecting portions of saidbodies, the body of the 7. A bubble producing toy comprising a pluralityof pivotally connected members each including a stem and a ring at oneend of the stem, said members being swingable between a first positionin which said rings are registered for immersion in a bubble-formingliquid, and a second position in which the rings are spaced laterally ofone another, said toy comprising at least five ofv said members, saidmembers including a pair of outermost members, a middle member, andmembers disposed be tween the middle member and the respective outermembers, the several members being formed with relatively flat widebodies, and stems extending from said bodies to connect the same to therings, the outer members having handles projecting in oppositedirections relative to the length of the middle member, the handles ofthe outer members being disposed at obtuse angles to the lengths oftheir associated stems, and also being at obtuse angles to the lengthsof the members disposed between the middle and outer members, in boththe first and second positions of the members.

8. A bubble producing toy comprising a plurality of pivotally connectedmembers each including a stem and a ring at one end of the stem, saidmembers being swingable between a first position in which said rings areregistered for immersion in a bubble-forming liquid, and a secondposition in which the rings are spaced laterally of one another, saidtoy comprising at least five of said members, said members including apair of outermost members, a middle member, and members disposed betweenthe middle member and the respective outer members, the several membersbeing formed with relatively flat wide bodies, and stems extending fromsaid bodies to connect the same to the rings, the outer members havinghandles projecting in opposite directions relative to the 7 length ofthe middle member, the handles of the outer members being disposed atobtuse angles to the lengths of their associated stems, and also beingat obtuse angles to the lengths of the members disposed between themiddle and outer members, in both the first and second positions of themembers, the several members being formed with cam slots, said toyincluding a cam pin extending through the several cam slots, the camslots of the outer members and the members disposed between the outerand middle members being eccentrically disposed in relation to the pivotaxis of the several members, with the eccentricity of the slots of theouter members being less than that of the slots of the membersinterposed between the middle and outer members.

9. A multi-ring bubble-producing toy comprising at least two pivotallyconnected members having fiat bodies connected for relative swingingmovement about a common axis between a first position in which saidmembers are in registration and a second position in which they arespaced laterally of one another, said members having cam slots at oneend and being formed at their other ends with flat bubble-producingrings disposed in the same plane as the flat bodies, a cam pin extendingthrough said slots, the slots extending along diiferent pathsto spacethe rings apart in said second position, and means for swinging saidmembers in opposite directions about the pivot axes thereof, saidmembers having integral handles adapted to receive diflerent fingers ofthe hand of a user, for swinging the members between the respectivepositions thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,412,732 Holman Dec. 17, 1946 2,559,739 Sherman July 10, 1951 2,582,585Cesaris Jan. 15, 1952 2,606,395 Fulton Aug. 12, 1952

